Hungary



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

ADOLF GRAP VON BUONACGORSI DI PISTOJA.

SELF PROPBLLING TORPEDO.

No. 413,114. Patented Got; 15, 1889.

2 Shts-Sheet 2.

(N9 Model.)

ADOLF GRAB VON BUONAGGO-RSI m PISTON.-

SELF PBOPELLING TORPEDO.

, atentefl Oct. 15, 1889.

' new and useful NlTED STATES ATENT OFFICE,

ADOLF GRAF voN BUONACCIORSIHDI,PISTOJA, or vmNNA, AUSTRIA- HUNGARY.

SELF- P-ROPELLJNG TORPEDO.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of 8 Letters PatenhNo. 413,114, dated October 15, 1889.

Application filed llovember 15, 1888, Serial No,

12, 1888, No. 81,008; gal May 17, 1888,11). 1,244; in Norway May 28, 1888,

290,968. (No model.) Patented in Germany June 19, 1887, No. 42,619: in Austrial-Hungary November 18, 1887, No. 24,042 and No. 49,221; in France February 24, 1888, No.

188,945; in Belgium March in England March 20,1888,No. %,297; in Italy March 31, 1888, X XII, 23,185, XLV, 481; in Portu- No. 934, and in $pain June 30, 1888, No. 8,035.

To all whom it may concern.-

,Be it knownthat I, ADOLF GRAF VoN BUON- nooonsi DI PIS'lOJA, a subject of the Emperor of, Austria-Hungary, residing at Vienna, in the Province of Lower Austriafin the Empire of Austria-Hungary, have invented certain H Letters Patent in Austria-Hungary, No. 24,042

anddio. 49,221, dated November 18, 1887;

"in Germany, No. 42,619, dated June 19, 1887;

ninFrance, No. 188,945, dated February 24,

18 88; n Belgium, No, 81,003, dated March 12,

- 1888; in Italy, Vol. XXII, No; 23,135, and Vol. XLV,J1*0. 431,date'd March 31, 18 88; in Spain,

No. 8,035,da'tedjJune 1888; in Portugal,

No. 1,244, dated' May' 17, 1888; .in England,-

perfiains to make and: use the same, reference beii. g had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specification. This invention relates to self-propelling,

ofiensive or fishtorpedoe 's, and hasfor, its

obj eat to provide means whereby the motive fluid may be automatically admitted to the distributing pipe or pipes when the torpedo is being launched, and to automatically cut olf the supply of motive fluid after the torpedo has been launched, and to time the cut cit to the distance D de. The iurther object of the invention is to provide means for charging the storageto be traveled by the tor-- chambe or reservoir. with the motive fluid and in onnecting the duct pr passage forthe fluidwi: h the main supply-pipe,' Wherebythe construction of the chambertor reservoir may be materially simplifiedand cheapened, and

whercbytlie danger of. leakage is greatly reinduced.

' (To these ends the invention consists in the 1 combinat. on, with the-main supply-pipe, of a stop cock-or valve and mechanism for a opermprovements in Self-Propcl- .ling Torpedoes, (for which iI'have' obtained ating the same automatically to establish communication between the. main and distributing' pipes when the torpedo is being launched, in meansfor automatically reversing the position of thestop cook or valve after the torpedo hasbeen launched, to cut off the said communication, and in I mechanism for timing the operation of the cut-off devices to the distance to bev traveled by the torpedo, substantially as hereinafter fully described, and, pointedout in the claims.

The invention further consists in. the combination,'with the. supply-main and the distributing or admis'sion cock or valve, of

mechanism for charging the reservoir with the motive,fluid,and a charging duct or pipe interposed in the said main between the reservoir and distributing cook or valve, substantially: as hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

The invention further consists in details of construction and combinations of parts, substantiallyas hereinafter fully described and claimed,

Referring to-thexdrawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal axial section of the chamber in rear of the chamber or reservoir for the mo qtivefluid and in front of the'sinking or ballast chamber. Fig. 2 is a section on line a: a: of Fig. 1, the shell of the torpedo being broken away; and Fig. 3 is a section of the chambers in rear of the sinking or ballast chamber of the torpedo, illustrating the mechanism for. timing the operation of the distributing-valve to automatically out 0% the 1 communication between the. reservoir and the distributing-pipes.

, .Referringto Fig. '1, K, indicates the chamber or reservoir for the motive fluid, which in this case is compressed air; K, thevalvechamber in which are arranged the feed and distributing valves; K the ballast or immersing or sinking chamber; K the chamber containing thesin'ki-ngwalves andfltheir operating mechanism, which I havedeemed unnecessary to show,'as these devices do not form a part of this application, but are fully described, shown, and claimed in an application for patent filed November 15, Serial No. 290,969; and K the stern chamber, in and about which is located the mechanism for distributing-pipes, I employ a stop-cock'L to the plug Z of which a-lever Lis connected, 'the outer end of said 'plug being square in cross section, for purposes presently explained. e 1

As the torpedo leaves'the launching-tube,

theouter end of the lever strikes a stop in said tube that shifts the lever from its posi-, tion shown in dottedlines in Fig. 1 to theposition shown in full lines in said figure, to establish the communication between the reservoir K and the distributing-pipes 19 19,

through the main ,2, the plug Z being turned ninety degrees at each movement of the lever L. The arm L of lever L'is connected by a link Z to a radial arm Z on the plug Z of the stop-cock L, against one ofthe faces of the squared end of which bears an elliptic spring 5 that maintains the plug-in the p0 sition to which it is shifted.

In launching exercises it is desirable that the supply of air be Lilli off as soon as the torpedo has reached the target or arrived at the end of its course, and this is automatically efiected by the following instrumentalities. The lever has a second arm L, to which is connected a chain or aslotted link Z, and to said chain or link is connected a rod L that serves to automatically shift the valve to cutoif the communication between the air-chamber K and the distributing-pipes p j). The rod L extends through a tube Z and is pivotally connected with a cylinder or sleeve 92, held against the stress of its actuating-spring n by a detent n one of the arms of which detent extends into the pathof a pin i ,projecting from the face of a registering and timing disk t, that is driven from a pinion t on the .arbor of the .worm-whecl A, that meshes with a worm-thread on the hub a. of one of the reaction propellers or wheels. The spring-actuated sleeve n slides on a tubular bossifi, formed onthe partition 7.1, that separates the chamber]? from the chamber K",

' into which boss is screweda tubular bearing lrr" for the'propellershaft q andair-distributing pipe p. v k K It will be observed that when the pin 25 on the. timing and registering disk or wheel t;

strikes the detent-arm the detent releases the sleeve 12, the latter is moved rearwardly unthe valve-plug l and cutting off the commuvnication between the reservoir K and the distributing-pipes.

The detent n *is a gravital one-that is to say, the arm thereof that engages the sleeve n is heavier than the arm that extends into the path of the pin 15*, so that said heavier arm will lie on the sleeve when the latter is init-s rearmost position,"an.d'as the sleeve is drawn forward when the lever L is shifted the detent-arm rides over it until said sleeve has reached the limit of its forward motion, when the offset or shoulder on the engaging arm will drop behind the sleeve and lock it in that position.

By means of the described mechanism the distance traveled by thetorpedo may be regulated and the torpedo then automatically brought to the surface through the agency 'of the horizontal rudder and the auxiliary mechanism that controls the same, which rudder-operating mechanism has been fully de scribed in my application for patent filed April 18, 1888, Serial No. 271,047.

The devices for charging the compressedair reservoir are constructed and arranged as follows: To the shell of the torpedo is secured a-tubular valve-casing r, in communication with the main ,2, by a pipe 1*, Fig. 1. In the lower part of the casing is arranged a checkvalve 1', held to its seat. by the pressure of the air and by the spring T The rod -r'" of valve 0* extends into the upper enlarged portion or mouth r of the casing 1', which is normally closed by a screw-plug r \Vhen it is desiredto force air into reservoir K and compress the same therein, the plug r is removed and the end of the forcing-pipe screwed into the month of the casing sufliciently to move the valve 1' from its seat. Air may now he forced through the casing and connectingpipe 7', and through main ,2 into reservoir K, the stop-cock L being closed and said air compressed within the reservoir K to any desired degree.

When the reservoir K is charged, the end of the forcing-pipe is unscrewed from the all possibility of leakage of air through said casing.

, Having described my in vention,what I claim is:

. 1. In atorpedo of the class described, the

combination, with the reservoir for the motive power, the propelling mechanism, and the pipe connecting said mechanism with the reservoir, of a stop-cock interposed insaid pipe, and a lever connected with said stop-cock, the end of which lever projects through the shell of the torpedo, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. In a torpedo of the class described, the

combination, with the reservoir for the motive supplying such motive power to the propeller,

of a cut-oft valve in said supply-pipe, an automatically-movable device connected therewith to close said cut-oft valve, a detent for engaging said device and keeping it set, and a trip for engaging said detent, operated by the revolutions of the propeller, substantially as described.

4. In a'torpedo of the class described, the combination, with the reservoir for the motive power, the propeller, and the supply-pipe for supplying such motive power to the propeller, of a cut-otf valve in said supply-pipe, a springactuated shifting device connected to close said valve, a detent for .holdingsaiddevice against the stress of its spring, and a disk revolved by the propeller and having a pin engaging said detent, substantially as described.

5. In a torpedo of the class described, the combination, with the reservoir for the motive power, the propeller, and the supply-pipe for supplying such motive power to the propeller, of a cut-oil valve, a spring-actuated shifting device connected to close said valve, a detent for holding said device against the stress of its spring, and a timed tripping mechanism connected to the detent, operated by the propeller to trip the detent, substantially as described.

6. The combination, in a torpedo, with the supply-pipe z, the stop-cock L, its plug 1 and radial arm Z on said plug, of the angular valve-lever L, projecting through the shell of the torpedo, the arm L thereof, and the link Z, connecting said arm with the arm 1, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

7. The combination, in a torpedo, with the supply-pipe for the motive power, of a stopcock having a plug formed with a square end, means for turning said plug one-fourth of a revolution, and an elliptical spring bearing with its side against one face of the squarefend of said plug to hold said plug in an openor closed position, substantially as'described.

8. The combination, in a torpedo, with the propeller, the supply-pipe for the motive power, a stop-cock and its plug in said pipe,

of shifting mechanism consisting of a lever connected with thestop-cock, a spring-actuated shifting-rod connected with the lever, a locking device to lock the rod against movement, and intermediate mechanism operated by the propeller and operating the locking device to release the shifting-rod, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

9. The combination, in a torpedo, with the propeller, thesu p ply-pipefor the motive power, and .a stop-cock and its plug in said pipe, of shifting mechanism consisting of a lever connected with the stop-cock, a shitting-rod connected with the lever, a spring-actuated cylinder connected with the shifting-rod, a locking device for locking the cylinder against motion, and a disk revolved from the propeller and provided with a pin for tripping said locking device, substantially as described. a

10. The combination, in a torpedo,with the propeller, the supply pipe for the motive power, a stop-cock and its plug in said' pipe, of shifting mechanism consisting of a lever connected with the stop-cock, a shifting-rod connected with the lever, a spring-actuated cylinder connected with the shifting-rod, a detent for locking the cylinder against mo- 'tion, a revoluble disk provided with a pin projecting from the face thereof and travelhigh the path of the detent, and gearing connected with the propeller to revolve the disk, substantially-as and for the purposes 11. In a torpedov of the class described, the combination, with the reservoir for the compressed motive fluid, the distributing-pipe, and the distributing-valve, of feeding devices comprising a valve-casinginterposed in the distributing-pipe between the distributing-valve and fluid-reservoir, said valve-casing having its open outer end secured to the' shell of the torpedo, and a check-valve arranged in saidcasingsnbstantially as and for the purposes specified.

12. In a torpedo of the class described,the

combination, with the reservoir for the compressed motive fluid, the distributing-pipe,

and the distributing-valve, of feeding devices comprising a valve-casing interposed in the distributing-pipe between the .distributing-valve and fluid-reservoir, said valve-casing having its outer end enlarged and interiorly screw-threaded, said enlarged outer end being secured to the shell of the torpedo, a screw-plug r, for said enlarged outer end of the casing, and a spring-actuated check-valve 2' arranged therein, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADOLF G-RlI- VON BUONACCORSI DI PISTOJA.

\Vitnesses:

OTTO SCHIFFER, Orro MAAss. 

